As per the latest reports, the US Special Envoy for Iran, Robert Malley has said that the efforts to revive the Iran Nuclear Deal are in “critical phase”. This has further reiterated the negotiation window to revive the deal but will not be open forever.
Critical Phase For The Revival Of JCPOA
Talking to the press on a call on Monday, Malley informed the reporters that they are in a critical phase to check if they can revive the JCPOA. He referred to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action which is also known as the Iran Nuclear Deal.
He informed that they are currently in a pause of the procedures regarding the same. And the official reasons given by the Iran officials regarding the hiatus are ‘wearing thin’. His comments come after a week-long trip to the Middle East and Europe over the Iran nuclear issue. The US allies and partners shared a “a deep and growing concern” towards the Iran’s nuclear progress.
As per Malley, the diplomacy is still the path preferred by the nations to address the Iran nuclear issue but the US and its allies might consider using different alternative tools as well. He said that they are open to diplomatic arrangements with Iran and they believe that the issue can only be resolve diplomatically. But the bigger question arises if the JCPOA can be revived.
JCPOA Is Technological Clock
The US and the Iranian officials began talking in Vienna (indirectly) this April to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement. The two sides still have important matters to discuss. Even after the six rounds of negotiations between the two nations, the issue is still stalled since June.
Malley stressed that the window for negotiations regarding the Iran’s return to the JCPOA will not be open forever. He said that this is not a chronological clock but rather a “technological clock”.
He added that if the situation continues to stay the same, the JCPOA would have been eroded because Iran would have made advances that may not be reversed.